REGION VI – Western Visayas

Western Visayas is composed of 6 provinces with 16 cities, 117 municipalities and 4,048 barangays. It has a total land area of 20,333 square kilometers and a total population of 6,203,733 which is growing at a rate of 1.56 percent.

Literacy rate is 91.9 percent and there are 4,263 schools, 120 of which are Higher Education Institutions. Also, 9 State Colleges/Universities are present in the whole region.

The economy is agriculture-based. The region is one of the biggest palay producers that accounts for 16 percent of the total national production. In terms of sugarcane production, it is the major producer with 60 percent of the total national production.

It is the top producer of aquatic and marine products with 30 percent of total fishpond production and 19 percent of national marine fish harvest. The region is rich with agri-forestry resources such as bamboo, piña, abaca and others.

Based in the CY 2005 Regional Development Report, Gross Regional Domestic Product of 7.9 recent realized in 2004 already exceeded the 2010 target of 7.1 percent. For increased employment opportunities, the region exceeded its target contribution to annual new jobs generated by more than 2,000 and the percentage increase of employment from 1.5 to 2.5 percent.

Tourist arrivals and receipts, as well as number of SMEs and value of investments increased between 2004 and 2005 levels. In terms of better distribution of economic activities and growth centers, there was slight increase in number of businesses established in identified growth centers under the regional physical framework plan. Toward a business and investment-friendly region, 50 cities and municipalities designated as growth centers have prepared an Investment Incentives Code.

These developments are made possible through collaborative efforts from the different regional line agencies, local government units and state universities and colleges.

Through continued linkages and support from the different stakeholders, the region which is endowed with rich resources will surely have a much competitive socioeconomic status in the whole Philippines.